What is the meaning of al-fadil and al-mufaddal, and which of the two is better?
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The questioner : In the name of Allah, and may prayers and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah. Noble Shaykh, what is the meaning of al-fadil and al-mufaddal, and which of the two is better?
The Shaykh : It is known that al-mufaddal means: the one whom others have preferred over, and al-fadil: the one in whom there is excellence. So if it is said: al-fadil and al-mufaddal, then al-fadil here means: the best. But if it is said: al-fadil without mentioning al-mufaddal, then al-fadil may have someone else who is better than him. So the ranks are three: the best (afdal), al-fadil, and al-mufaddal.
So if it is said: the best (afdal), it means that there must be something that is al-mufaddal. An example of that is: a man who wants to devote himself to seeking knowledge or to pray voluntary prayers. There is no doubt that voluntary prayers have excellence, but seeking knowledge is much better than them. Another person wanted to give charity to a poor person who has some sufficiency, and another wanted to give charity to a poor person who has nothing of sufficiency. The best is the second one, and both of them have excellence.
But something may happen to al-mufaddal that makes it better than al-fadil. An example of that is: reciting the Qur'an is among the best dhikr, and the Qur'an is the best dhikr. So if a man is reciting and hears the mu'adhdhin calling the adhan, is it better that he continues in his recitation or that he responds to the mu'adhdhin?
Here we say: it is better that he responds to the mu'adhdhin, even though the Qur'an is better than dhikr, but dhikr in its place is better than reciting the Qur'an, because reciting the Qur'an is not restricted to a time; whenever you wish, recite. But responding to the mu'adhdhin is tied to the mu'adhdhin.
Likewise, the dhikr of the five prayers after the obligatory ones. If someone said: I want, from the moment I say the taslim, to recite the Qur'an, is it better that I recite the Qur'an, or that I say the transmitted dhikr? What is the answer?
The transmitted dhikr. In fact, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih Muslim 479a, even though reciting the Qur'an is among the best deeds. But we say: if you are bowing, you are prohibited from reciting the Qur'an, and likewise if you are prostrating, you are prohibited from reciting the Qur'an, and you say: Subhana Rabbi al-Azim in the bowing, and Subhana Rabbi al-A'la in the prostration.
And some of the scholars said: if a person recites the Qur'an while bowing or prostrating, his prayer is invalid, because he did something he is prohibited from doing. You see now that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: even though the Qur'an is among the best dhikr.
And the summary of the answer is that we say: deeds have ranks, some of them better than others, but something may happen to al-mufaddal that makes it better than al-fadil.
The Shaykh : It is known that al-mufaddal means: the one whom others have preferred over, and al-fadil: the one in whom there is excellence. So if it is said: al-fadil and al-mufaddal, then al-fadil here means: the best. But if it is said: al-fadil without mentioning al-mufaddal, then al-fadil may have someone else who is better than him. So the ranks are three: the best (afdal), al-fadil, and al-mufaddal.
So if it is said: the best (afdal), it means that there must be something that is al-mufaddal. An example of that is: a man who wants to devote himself to seeking knowledge or to pray voluntary prayers. There is no doubt that voluntary prayers have excellence, but seeking knowledge is much better than them. Another person wanted to give charity to a poor person who has some sufficiency, and another wanted to give charity to a poor person who has nothing of sufficiency. The best is the second one, and both of them have excellence.
But something may happen to al-mufaddal that makes it better than al-fadil. An example of that is: reciting the Qur'an is among the best dhikr, and the Qur'an is the best dhikr. So if a man is reciting and hears the mu'adhdhin calling the adhan, is it better that he continues in his recitation or that he responds to the mu'adhdhin?
Here we say: it is better that he responds to the mu'adhdhin, even though the Qur'an is better than dhikr, but dhikr in its place is better than reciting the Qur'an, because reciting the Qur'an is not restricted to a time; whenever you wish, recite. But responding to the mu'adhdhin is tied to the mu'adhdhin.
Likewise, the dhikr of the five prayers after the obligatory ones. If someone said: I want, from the moment I say the taslim, to recite the Qur'an, is it better that I recite the Qur'an, or that I say the transmitted dhikr? What is the answer?
The transmitted dhikr. In fact, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
And see that I have been forbidden to recite the Qur'an in the state of bowing and prostration.
ألا وإني نهيت أن أقرأ القرآن راكعاً أو ساجداًAnd some of the scholars said: if a person recites the Qur'an while bowing or prostrating, his prayer is invalid, because he did something he is prohibited from doing. You see now that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
I have been prohibited—meaning my Lord prohibited me—from reciting the Qur'an while bowing or prostrating
إني نهيت -يعني نهاني ربي- أن أقرأ القرآن راكعاً أو ساجداًAnd the summary of the answer is that we say: deeds have ranks, some of them better than others, but something may happen to al-mufaddal that makes it better than al-fadil.